Boro’s youngsters remain in a prime position to launch a title charge over the festive period.

Sitting three points off leaders Newcastle, one away from the Gunners in second place and level with West Brom, the Barclays Under-21 Premier League Second Division is a four-horse race with plenty of furlongs left to run.

From the ecstasy of a last-minute winner against Newcastle to despair against Arsenal, this season has already offered plenty of food for thought for Under-21s coach Jenkins.

“If you said at the beginning of the season that we would be where we are now then we’d all have been delighted”, the long-serving Boro coach said.

“There have been some really good performances and some really tough games, but even in this first third of the season the players have experienced matches that are realistic to first team football.

“In some games we haven’t played well but have picked up all three points, while in others we’ve played really well and come away with nothing.

“That experience is what we’re trying to offer at Boro and bring this dimension to our Under-21s football.

Boro Under-21s boss Paul Jenkins.

“At this level you have to learn to win football matches, but you can’t detract from what the Under-21s is about.

“It’s about developing and producing players for the first team, and if we can get one or two training with them or breaking into the team then we’ll have done our job.

“It’s not all about winning leagues at this level, it’s also about producing players and preserving the future of the football club - but of course we want to do the best we can.”

After losing their opening league game at Derby, Boro’s young guns hit back and went on an incredible eight-game unbeaten run in all competitions, which included a dramatic late comeback to draw at Reading despite finding themselves 3-1 down with 10 minutes to play.

That was followed by another remarkable late show against Newcastle three weeks ago, with James Husband and Callum Cooke netting in the dying seconds to seize the Tees-Tyne bragging rights.

Sitting top of the league, a clash with title rivals Arsenal awaited in London - and despite Scott McCarthy grabbing an 88th minute equaliser Jenkins’ side were sunk by an even later goal for the Gunners.

But can Boro’s young guns bounce back from that disappointment?

Boro winger James Husband battles it out with Newcastle's Kevin Mbabu

“At Arsenal we had a taste of our own medicine. We were made to feel how Reading and Newcastle would have felt,” Jenkins admitted.

“I’ve never heard a dressing room so quiet after a game. It was eery because none of the lads had been in that position before.

“Everyone was emotional and disappointed that they didn’t make the right decisions at the end of the game to secure a point, but we’ll learn from that.

“You can’t go through life with just positive experiences because you’ll never learn. Hopefully the result hitting the lads so hard will mean they’ll make better decisions when they find themselves in that position again.”

Boro’s priorities now turn to the cup competitions before the league restarts with a trip to Bolton on December 1, meaning Teesside’s rising stars have plenty of time to reflect on what has been a hectic start to the season.

Defeat in the capital may have left a sour taste in everyone’s mouths, but that shouldn’t detract from their achievements to date.

Having now played all of the league’s top seven teams, Boro can kick-start a title charge next month.

“I can’t praise the players enough for what they’ve achieved so far this season,” Jenkins said.

Emmanuel Ledesma in action for Boro Under-21s against Hartlepool United at Hurworth

“An eight-game unbeaten run was a little achievement for us, but now it’s all about how we approach the next game.

“It’s a bit frustrating that we don’t have another league game for a while, but the cups offer a good opportunity for our lads who haven’t been playing to stake their claim for a shirt.

“There’s different challenges for each player but they can’t just look what’s in front of them, they also need to look at what’s underneath them.

“What’s underneath is a talented group of Under-18 players who are doing fantastically well at the moment and are top of their league, so everyone needs to be on their toes.”

Last week goals from Emmanuel Ledesma and Ryan Brobbel helped Boro Under-21s to a 2-1 win over Hartlepool United in the Final Third Development League Cup.

Having won three out of three in the group stages, Jenkins’ side know a point at Scunthorpe in January will be enough to qualify for the semi-finals.

The Under-21s are next in action on Monday against Hull City in the Under-21 Premier League Cup. Kick-off at the Riverside is scheduled for 7pm.